It's not about Route 66. It's not a book in the traditional sense. But Jeff Jensen's "Drive the Broadway of America" (self-published, 223 pages, $30, including shipping) should greatly please Route 66ers and entice roadies to new two-lane adventures. Jensen's book, subtitled "The U.S. 80 and the Bankhead Highways Across the American Southwest," is the … Continue reading Book review: “Drive the Broadway of America”
Author: Ron Warnick
I'm the editor and publisher of Route 66 News, a clearinghouse of events, information, and entertainment pertaining to historic U.S. 66, the Mother Road.
Missed opportunity
Dan Weber, staff writer for The Collegian newspaper at the University of Tulsa, has this to say about the university's construction in recent years along 11th Street, aka Route 66, in Tulsa. The actual presence of Tulsa on campus itself is much less prominent than in 2005. You don’t have to be a fan of … Continue reading Missed opportunity
Ghosts in the motel
There were some suggestions in the past that the historic Hotel Brunswick on Route 66 in Kingman, Ariz., was haunted. Debe Branning of Examiner.com has more specific stories about those ghostly incidents: A previous innkeeper told the MVD Ghostchasers crew about some of the difficulties he encountered with the Brunswick ghosts after he purchased the … Continue reading Ghosts in the motel
Rock ‘n’ roll landmarks on Route 66
I just finished Chris Epting's 2007 book, "Led Zeppelin Crashed Here," subtitled "The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America." It's the most comprehensive book I've read that lists famous rock history sites, venues of noteworthy concerts, where rock musicians died, their burial sites, locations of famous album covers, and rock-inspired museums. Epting's book will … Continue reading Rock ‘n’ roll landmarks on Route 66
Mother Road matchmaker
The Daily Mirror in London reports today that Paul McCartney plans to marry new American girlfriend Nancy Shevell. Shevell's divorce from her husband recently became final after she separated in 2007. The newspaper reports that McCartney's daughter Stella has given the green light for the former Beatle to marry. And apparently the Mother Road was … Continue reading Mother Road matchmaker
“In Sight It Must Be Right”
Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert waxes ecstatic about the Steak 'n Shake restaurant chain and his memories of the restaurant growing up in Urbana, Ill. Ebert's whole blog entry is worth reading (as are the comments and his replies). But here is a choice excerpt, of which many roadies will concur: If I were … Continue reading “In Sight It Must Be Right”
A blast from “The Daily Show” past
This segment was just uploaded to the archives of the Comedy Channel's "The Daily Show" -- a younger, thinner Jon Stewart in 1999 giving his usual irreverent take on the news. This time, Stewart was poking fun at Route 66, after President Clinton signed legislation that created the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. Nearly 10 … Continue reading A blast from “The Daily Show” past
Photo exhibit includes Route 66 images
Artist Laura Smetak will host an exhibit of her recent photography, including old signs on Route 66, at the McKinney Performing Arts Center in McKinney, Texas, on Jan. 31, reports Pegasus News. The show, titled "At Work and On The Road, A Collection of Photos Taken on America's Backroads and in McKinney's Backyard," presents a … Continue reading Photo exhibit includes Route 66 images
A big hole in the ground
The International Herald Tribune has an excellent article about meteor impact sites and other natural holes around Arizona, including the big Meteor Crater off Route 66 east of Flagstaff. Some interesting facts about Meteor Crater: If a football game were played at the bottom, the crater's walls would hold 2 million spectators. The 4,100-foot-wide crater … Continue reading A big hole in the ground
Another stimulus proposal
Another community has latched on to trying to get money from President Obama's upcoming stimulus package. This time, according to WEEK-TV, the Route 66 town of Chenoa, Ill., is making a pitch: And community leaders in Chenoa say they also are requesting more than $300,000 in federal stimulus funds in order to build a bike … Continue reading Another stimulus proposal